Bernhard Droog (5 January 1921 in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

– 22 December 2009 in Ede,

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

) was a Dutch actor who appeared in 17 films, including the 1997

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-winning ''

Character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...

'', and numerous television and theatre roles. Droog was a recipient of the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

in 1970.Nu.nl obituary
(Dutch)

Early life

Droog was born to Dutch parents living in Germany. He lived there until 1936, when the family decided to return to the Netherlands and moved to the city of

Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...

. Droog took up employment in a chemist's laboratory, and continued this work after another move to

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

. He initially studied singing, with a view to joining an opera company (his parents had worked as semi-professional opera singers) but in 1945 he became a member of a theatre group run by Pierre Balledux, for whom he would make over 300 appearances.Career overview at NRC Handelsblad
(Dutch)

Film career

Droog's film debut came in 1955 in the role of Leraar in ''

Ciske de Rat ''Ciske de Rat'' ("Ciske the Rat") is the first part of a trilogy by Dutch author Piet Bakker. It is part of the Ciske trilogy which was written between 1941 (publication was however delayed by paper shortages until 1942) and 1946. The book was p ...

'', based on a famous children's novel by author Piet Bakker, which in terms of cinema admissions remains one of the most popular films in Dutch history. He would appear in two comedy films, ''

Kleren Maken de Man '' Kleren Maken de Man '' is a 1957 Dutch comedy film directed by Georg Jacoby. Cast *Kees Brusse ... Verzekeringsagent Hans * Annet Nieuwenhuyzen ... Ellen * Mimi Boesnach ... Burgerjuffrouw * Andrea Domburg ... Voormalige vriendin Peter * ...

'' and ''

Fanfare A fanfare (or fanfarade or flourish) is a short musical flourish which is typically played by trumpets, French horns or other brass instruments, often accompanied by percussion. It is a "brief improvised introduction to an instrumental perfo ...

'', followed by a leading role in the 1958 Academy Award-nominated '' Dorp aan de rivier''. He also appeared in 1962

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

drama '' De Overval''. After the early 1960s, Droog's film appearances became sporadic as he worked mainly in theatre and television. However he made notable appearances in '' Wat zien ik'', a 1971 comedy centred on the lives of two

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

prostitutes (and the first feature film directed by

Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch director, producer and screenwriter, active in the Netherlands, France and the United States. His blending of graphic violence and sexual content with social satire is a trademark of both his dram ...

), and another World War II feature, 1978's ''Pastorale 1943''. Droog's final screen appearance came in 1997 in ''

'', which went on to win that year's

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

Death

The last decade of Droog's life was spent out of the public eye. He died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

on 22 December 2009, aged 88.

Filmography

*1953: ''Rechter Thomas'' (dir. Walter Smith) *1955: ''

'' (dir. Wolfgang Staudte) - Leraar *1957: ''De vliegende Hollander'' (dir. Gerard Rutten) *1957: ''

'' (dir. Georg Jacoby) *1958: '' Dorp aan de rivier'' (dir.

Fons Rademakers Alphonse Marie "Fons" Rademakers (5 September 1920 – 22 February 2007) was a Dutch actor, film director, film producer and screenwriter. His 1960 film '' Makkers Staakt uw Wild Geraas'' was entered into the 11th Berlin International Film Fest ...

) - Cis den Dove *1958: ''

'' (dir.

Bert Haanstra Albert Haanstra (; 31 May 1916 – 23 October 1997) was a Dutch director of films and documentaries. His documentary ''Glass'' (1958) won the Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject in 1959. His feature film ''Fanfare'' (1958) was the mo ...

) - Krijns *1960: ''De zaak M.P.'' (dir. Bert Haanstra) - Jef *1961: ''

De Laatste Passagier '' De Laatste Passagier '' is a 1961 Dutch film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, ...

'' (dir. Jef van der Heyden) - Maartjes vader *1962: ''Kermis in de Regen'' (dir.

Kees Brusse Kees Brusse (; 26 February 1925 – 9 December 2013) was a Dutch actor, film director and screenwriter. A self-taught actor, he was remarkable for his natural acting style at a time when more theatrical performances were the norm in The Net ...

) - Eigenaar gestolen auto (uncredited) *1962: '' De Overval'' (dir.

Paul Rotha Paul Rotha (3 June 1907 – 7 March 1984) was a British documentary film-maker, film historian and critic. Early life and education He was born Paul Thompson in London, and educated at Highgate School and at the Slade School of Fine Art. Career ...

) - Jellema *1963: ''

Fietsen naar de Maan '' Fietsen naar de Maan '' is a 1963 Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United S ...

'' (dir. Jef van der Heyden) - Politieagent Henk Egmond *1964: ''Spuit elf'' (dir. Paul Cammermans) - Pastoor *1971: '' Wat zien ik'' (dir.

) - Bob de Vries *1978: ''

Pastorale 1943 ''Pastorale 1943'' is a 1978 Dutch drama film directed by Wim Verstappen and starring Frederik de Groot. The film was selected as the Dutch entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 51st Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. ...

'' (dir. Wim Verstappen) - Poerstamper *1979: ''Kort Amerikaans'' (dir. Guido Pieters) - Van Grouw *1979: ''

Erik of het klein insectenboek ''Eric in the Land of the Insects'', originally called ''Erik of het klein insectenboek'' (English: Erik or the small book of insects) in Dutch, is a 1941 Dutch children's novel by Godfried Bomans. It is widely seen as a children's classic and Bo ...

'' (TV Series, dir. Hank Onrust) - Bij *1979: ''Een pak slaag'' (dir. Bert Haanstra) - Vrijst *1980: ''De Verjaring'' (TV Movie, dir. Kees Brusse) - Guus *1987: ''De ratelrat'' (dir. Wim Verstappen) - Commissaris *1997: ''

'' (dir.

Mike van Diem Mike van Diem (born 1959, in Druten, grew up in Sittard) is a Dutch film director. In 1990, his short film ''Alaska'' won a Golden Calf for best short film and the Student Academy Award for best foreign student film in the drama category. In 19 ...

)Bernhard Droog at imdb.com
/ref> - Stroomkoning (final film role)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Droog, Bernhard 1921 births 2009 deaths Dutch male film actors Dutch male television actors Dutch male stage actors Male actors from Cologne Deaths from pneumonia in the Netherlands Dutch expatriates in Germany